These passions may lie dormant in our nature without soliciting to evil; they may, at any moment, awake to action with or without provocation.  The sight of an enemy or the thought of a wrong may stir up anger; pride may be aroused by flattery, applause or even compliments; the demon of lust may make its presence known and felt for a good reason, for a slight reason, or for no reason at all; gluttony shows its head at the sight of food or drink, etc.

He who deliberately and without reason arouses a passion, and thus exposes himself imprudently to an assault of concupiscence, is grievously guilty; for it is to trifle with a powerful and dangerous enemy and it betokens indifference to the soul’s salvation.

Suggestions, seductions, allurements follow upon the awakening of these passions.  When the array of these forces comes in contact with the will, the struggle is on; it is called temptation.  Warfare is the natural state of man on earth.  Without it, the world here below would be a paradise, but life would be without merit.

In this unprovoked and righteous battle with sin, the only evil to be apprehended is the danger of yielding.  But far from being sinful, the greater the danger, the more meritorious the struggle.  It matters not what we experience while fighting the enemy.  Imagination and sensation that solicit to yielding, anxiety of mind and discouragement, to all this there is no wrong attached, but merit.

Right or wrong depends on the outcome.  Every struggle ends in victory or defeat for one party and in temptation there is sin only in defeat.  A single act of the will decides.  It matters not how long the struggle lasts; if the will does not capitulate, there is no sin.

This resistance demands plenty of energy, a soul inured to like combats and an ample provision of weapons of defense—­faith, hatred of sin, love of God.  Prayer is essential.  Flight is the safest means, but is not always possible.  Humility and self-denial are an excellent, even necessary, preparation for assured victory.

No man need expect to make himself proof against temptation.  It is not a sign of weakness; or if so, it is a weakness common to all men.  There is weakness only in defeat, and cowardice as well.  The gallant and strong are they who fight manfully.  Manful resistance means victory, and victory makes one stronger and invincible, while defeat at every repetition places victory farther and farther beyond our reach.

Success requires more than strength, it requires wisdom, the wisdom to single out the particular passion that predominates in us, to study its artifices and by remote preparation to make ourselves secure against its assaults.  The leader thus exposed and its power for evil reduced to a minimum, it will be comparatively easy to hold in check all other dependent passions.

CHAPTER IX.  PRIDE.